Balance
Balancing academics, remote jobs, clubs, and any other commitment, along with making time for socializing and your mental and physical health, can be quite the juggling act, but you don’t have to figure it all out on your own!
Organized by Nick Richards '20
Tips for Creating Balance
Especially in college, finding balance can be a daunting task to tackle alone. That is why there is a team of academic peer advisors and a plethora of other academic resources that are here to help you (feel free to email us at peeradvisors@wesleyan.edu).
To get you started, here are some general tips and tricks on the Rule of 7, balancing extracurriculars, balancing courses, and maintaining personal time.
The Rule of 7
The Rule of 7
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Don’t take on more than 7 big weekly commitments per semester
- Commitments include:
- Classes
- Extracurriculars
- Job
- Volunteering
- TA’ing
- and more
- It’s ok to say no to some opportunities
- It is better to do fewer things and have the time to give them your all than to do more things but do them less well
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Balancing Extracurriculars
Balancing Extracurriculars
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- Communicating between professors and other group leaders
- e.g. telling the professor of a class if you have any conflicts with class meetings which are unavoidable
- By putting all the dates into your calendar at the beginning of the semester, you can give this notification FAR in advance!
- Be sure to have a calendar with all important dates to visualize when responsibilities are on conflicting dates
- Prioritize!
- know when you have a responsibility that needs to trump another commitment occurring (e.g. having to leave one meeting a little early to attend a test review session)
- Plan commitments tactfully
- Although taking an extra class or joining another club might be under the Rule of 7, it might not be the smartest thing to do if it is in the midst of a busy semester
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Course Balancing
Course Balancing
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- Take an even distribution of reading/writing classes and studying/testing classes
- In addition to the required meeting with your faculty advisor, meet with a peer advisor during pre-registration so that you can be sure to have a balanced course schedule!
- Plan ahead/don’t cram
- Time management skills are essential; you can always set up an appointment with a peer advisor or faculty advisor AND also refer to the time management tips page to hone your skills!
- Do NOT be afraid to ask for extensions- extra time might make all the difference when balancing two very important assignments with deadlines in close proximity
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Personal Time
Personal Time
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Take time for yourself, your health, sleep, and happiness :)
- TAKE BREAKS! Not only are study breaks good for your mental health, they are also cognitively beneficial
- Always make time for sleep (aim for 7-8 hours of sleep every night)
- Never skip meals
- Take some time to do something fun!
- Connect with friends and loved ones; spend some time chatting or stream a movie over Zoom
- Catch up on your favorite shows on Netflix or Hulu
- Virtually visit a museum, zoo, opera,or even a concert
- Get Creative: write a journal or a gratitude letter, listen to a podcast or take up cooking/baking
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